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As Drew Brees watches with oblique strain, Ryan Griffin makes statement in battle to be his backup

Brees sits out: Black & Gold scrimmage 2014

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) walks with head coach Sean Payton as he sits out the Black & Gold scrimmage with a strained oblique during Saints training camp at the Greenbrier resort in West Virginia on Saturday, August 2, 2014. (Michael DeMocker, Nola.com / The Times-Picayune)
(Michael DeMocker)

"Quarterbacks have a lot of information to process, and the less you're processing, the more that just comes naturally," Strief said. "You come up and see a defense and you know it; you're not thinking about what it is. The more that they can do, the more comfortable they are, the easier it is for them to make a quick read or quick decision. Obviously at that position in this league, that's the whole deal: How fast can you make the right decision?"

None of the quarterbacks were made available to the media at the Greenbrier resort on Saturday, but teammates said Griffin's growth from last year to now has been noticeable.

"He's playing with a lot of confidence right now, and I think it shows," said receiver Marques Colston. "Being in that quarterback room with two vets like he is, he's definitely learning a lot from those guys and really applying it to the field."

Griffin, a southern California native who was a prolific passer at Tulane, signed with the Saints as an undrafted free agent last summer. He made the practice squad and was then moved to the 53-man roster in midseason to keep him from being poached by other teams (most notably, the St. Louis Rams).

The Saints didn't draft a quarterback this year, another sign of their confidence in Griffin's future. The fourth-string rookie, Logan Kilgore, has played well at times and could very well make the practice squad, but has also struggled with the split-second decisions required for quarterbacks in the NFL.

That leaves only McCown, a well-regarded NFL journeyman, as an obstacle for Griffin. Popular and respected by teammates, McCown has been willing to help Griffin's development, even if he is grooming his eventual replacement.

"Coming into last year, Ryan was the typical rookie: He kept his mouth shut when he should and he just absorbed. He was a sponge," McCown said. "This year, he has a lot more questions. The great thing is he even has a few answers for himself so he doesn't have to rely on Drew or I for all the answers. That is what a (position meeting) room is supposed to be."

McCown has been in the league long enough to worry about what he can control, and not stress over position battles.

"There shouldn't be anxiety about whose position and this or that because we all wear black and gold at the end of the day," McCown said. "We're all shooting for the same thing."

As the potential backup to one of the best quarterbacks in league history, that means hoping that you never have to take a snap. But Strief said he was encouraged by the seamless transition between the quarterbacks Saturday.

"It's unusual for us to not be in the huddle with Drew, and yet it felt no different," Strief said. "We didn't run into any bad looks; they got us into the right plays. The huddle was nice and clear, the calls were good, the cadences were nice and consistent. It really felt like we didn't miss a beat, which is good. That's a testament to those guys."